Tropical Storm Beryl Leaves Devastation in Texas

Tropical Storm Beryl wreaked havoc in Texas, leaving nearly three million homes and businesses without power and causing multiple fatalities. The storm has weakened but continues to threaten eastern Texas, Western Louisiana, and Arkansas with flooding and tornadoes. Restoration efforts will take days, prioritizing essential services like nursing homes.

After tropical storm Beryl slammed into Texas early on Monday, it knocked out power to nearly three million homes and businesses, causing several fatalities. By Monday evening, it had weakened to a tropical depression, according to the National Hurricane Centre. The storm brought threats of flooding, rains, and tornadoes to eastern Texas, Western Louisiana, and Arkansas.

Officials warned it could take several days to restore power after Beryl, a Category-1 hurricane at landfall, knocked out 10 transmission lines and knocked down trees. The fast-moving storm was originally a Category-5 in Mexico and the Caribbean. It left hundreds of trees and several stranded cars on flooded roads.

Houston was particularly affected, with CenterPoint Energy reporting over two million homes and businesses without power. Authorities focused on restoring power to critical facilities like nursing homes. Emergency crews performed water rescues as heavy rains persisted, and officials urged the public to heed safety warnings as flooding might last for days.

(With inputs from agencies.)